


‘forever’ is just a word

by selenophim



Series: how long is forever [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, M/M, Post-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28360506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selenophim/pseuds/selenophim
Summary: As soon as Atsumu gets there, he immediately registers three things in his mind: 1) there’s a crying little girl in the middle of the court; 2) the said girl is unfamiliar, Atsumu not remembering her as a daughter of one of their older members; and 3) as he gets nearer, the more he realizes that she looks too much like a certain raven, wavy-haired wing spiker.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Series: how long is forever [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076969
Comments: 12
Kudos: 245





	‘forever’ is just a word

**Author's Note:**

> as usual, this is unedited. I will get back to this sometime haha

When Atsumu woke up that day, he knew something extremely weird was gonna happen.

But when he entered the MSBY Black Jackals’ gym to curate his daily dose of volleyball, what welcomed him was the combined screams of Hinata, Inunaki, and Bokuto. He immediately thinks the weirdness he’s feeling at the pit of his stomach isn’t going to happen early this morning but later today (and even then, he doesn’t wanna deal with it).

Although he only raised his eyebrows at that, knowing those three are probably playing some stupid game again and once they see him, they’re  _ definitely _ going to drag Atsumu into the said stupidity and when things go wrong, they will unanimously point their fingers at him.

So as usual, he takes his own pace changing into his training clothes, and silently hopes Meian will arrive from his usual meeting with the coaching staff to inform him about their training regimen for today.

Still, when nothing actually happens when he’s almost done with his pre-training routine (like either Bokuto or Hinata or sometimes Inunaki barging in to drag him along with their shenanigans), his brows furrow, thinking that something  _ must _ have happened.

Quickening his pace, he doesn’t bother doing the rest of his routine and rushes out of the locker room to make his way to the court.

As he’s nearing the court, he hears the faint sound of muffled voices and a crying sound which he guesses comes from a kid.

Suddenly, something at the pit of his stomach twisted.

_ Oh no, _ Atsumu thinks.  _ Is this what I’ve been feeling since earlier? _

As soon as he gets there, he immediately registers three things in his mind: 1) there’s a crying little girl in the middle of the court; 2) the said girl is unfamiliar, Atsumu not remembering her as a daughter of one of their older members; and 3) as he gets nearer, the more he realizes that she looks  _ too much _ like a certain raven, wavy-haired wing spiker.

He stops at a safe distance from the kid, turning to Barnes who didn’t even notice his presence as he was too shocked at the sight of an unknown child crying in the middle of the MSBY gym.

Poking him on his shoulder, Atsumu asks, “What’s happening? Why is there a kid here?”

As soon as those words leave Atsumu’s mouth, everyone’s attention turns to him, including the little girl who is still sobbing. She meets his eyes for a few moments before suddenly running towards him while yelling, “Papa!”

Everyone lets out a noise of surprise, all of them shooting Atsumu a surprised look. 

While she clings onto Atsumu’s legs, the blonde is frozen solid on the floor, wide eyes darting to his teammates.

Bokuto suddenly exclaims, “Tsum-Tsum, you have a kid?!”

“Since when did you have a kid, Atsumu-san?!” Hinata immediately follows.

Inunaki opens and closes his mouth a few times after finally saying, “Who’s the unlucky woman that you scammed?”

“Wha— Can you all calm down? I never impregnated anyone and never will!” Atsumu tries to protest but Inunaki only clasps his hand on his shoulder as if to say, “Yeah, Atsumu, we’re not believing you.”

He’s about to retort again when he feels small hands tugging at the hem of his shirt. When he looks down, Atsumu’s sight is welcomed by the little girl’s face looking up at him with tears still falling from her eyes.

She says with wide eyes and wobbling lips, “Papa, carry me up?”

Helpless, Atsumu follows her request and carries her up to his hip. She quickly nuzzles her head on the side of his neck, sighing in content. The Black Jackals coo at the sight, their hearts softening at the adorable view.

“How could you deny that she’s your child? That’s heartless of you, Atsumu,” Inunaki remarks.

Atsumu groans, “Wan-san, I already told ya. She really isn’t. Can y’all be logical for a moment?”

“What logic should even be applied to this?” Adriah questions.

“I mean, just take a look at her!” Atsumu starts, frustration clear on his voice. “Like, just based on her physical appearance, she doesn’t even look like me. Also, lookin’ at her, she’s probably five to seven years old, and y’all have to consider that I’m only 23! Wouldn’t that mean I’ve been hiding this kid since I was in high school?”

“That’s a valid point,” Barnes concludes after a while of silence in the court. “But her not looking like you could mean she took after her mother.”

“Yeah, and you being in high school when she was most likely born doesn’t erase the fact that you could still have impregnated someone without knowing it?” Adriah adds to Barnes’ conclusion.

“As much as I’m cocky and insufferable back then—”

“Back then?”

“—fine, as much as I’m cocky and insufferable back then  _ and  _ now,  _ Wan-san,  _ I didn’t fool around with girls, so there would be no possibility I would knock someone up without knowing,” Atsumu explains with gritted teeth. “I have  _ never _ even thought of having intercourse with them so none of this just makes sense.”

“Are you really sure?” Inunaki presses. He holds his hands up, “I mean, don’t get us wrong, Atsumu. It’s just that we’re worried about the kid, okay? Isn’t it cruel if you’re denying your own child that you, even if unwilling, participated in, err,  _ making?” _

Atsumu exhales a deep breath, hand caressing the child’s head, “I know that you mean well, but I swear, I’m not heartless to deny my own kid if she really is mine.”

Everyone nods in understanding. Adriah clears his throat, “Since she isn’t your child then she must be someone else’s. Let’s call the staff and let them know about it. They could call up the police and see if anyone’s looking for a lost child.”

Hinata raises his hand, “I’ll call for them!”

But before he could even take a step, the doors of the gym slam open, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

The said figure watches them for a second, eyes switching between every single one of them. And when it finally lands on Atsumu, he calls out loudly, “Natsumi!”

The little girl lifts her head up from resting on Atsumu’s shoulder as soon as she hears her name being called. She twists her head in the direction where it came from, her eyes immediately lighting up as soon as she sees him.

Natsumi tries to wiggle out of Atsumu’s hold, and the setter lets her. She swiftly runs across the court to the point that she almost trips (which made everyone worry about her) but thankfully, she didn’t have any mini accidents before stopping in front of the person who called her.

“Daddy!” she shrieks, not hesitating to jump into his wide-open arms.

He gives her a smile before planting a kiss on her temple, “Tsumi, I was worried about you. How did you end up here?” He asks his daughter, eyes, and voice soft.

She shakes her head, answering quietly, “I don’t know!” Her lips start to shake, so he rapidly shushes her, “It’s fine. You don’t have to think about it anymore, yeah? Let’s… just go somewhere else, for now, okay?”

Nodding, she lays her head on his shoulder, eyes drooping. In a matter of minutes, she has fallen asleep. He gets up and begins striding towards the exit, but before he can even move even further, Hinata calls, “Omi-san? It’s you, right, Omi-san?”

His steps halt, but he doesn’t make any move to whirl back at them nor to walk away from them.

On the other hand, the Black Jackals just continue discussing it.

“That’s Sakusa? Are you sure about that, Shouyou?” Inunaki questions, his tone doubtful.

Hinata shrugs, “I’m not really sure! But he looks a lot like Omi-san, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, he does, but he looks older and more mature, no?”

“Maybe it’s Sakusa’s older brother?” Adriah pipes in. “Didn’t he mention before he has two older siblings? Though he didn’t really specify if his siblings are both sisters or brothers or a combination of both.”

“You’re right,” Hinata agrees. He apologizes, “Um, Sakusa-san? I’m sorry for mistaking you as your brother!”

He finally whirls around to meet their gazes. He says, “It’s fine. You didn’t really mistake me for anyone.”

“What,” the Black Jackals unanimously asks.

Bokuto interrogates, “What do you mean? We don’t get you.”

“Simply what it means,” he responds. “I’m Kiyoomi.”

“For real?!” Inunaki shouts. “But you—”

“I’m what, Wan-san?”

Collective gasps can be heard around the room. Inunaki points at him, “ _ That! _ You never called me that before! Only Atsumu and Shouyou and the others call me that!”

“I’ve changed, Wan-san,” he plainly states.

Inunaki nods, “Yeah, you changed  _ overnight?  _ When we met you yesterday, you weren't like this!”

“Are you really our Sakusa? Like the grumpy yet surprisingly thoughtful Sakusa?” Barnes grills.

Not-Kiyoomi only sighs. He hesitates for a moment before deciding to continue, “It’s quite complicated. Even if I explain to you, you’d probably think I’m crazy or anything along those lines.”

Bokuto snorts, “Come on, Omi-kun! We’ve known each other for years! Whatever you say, we’ll believe you!”

“Really?” he asks, tone challenging. “Even if I tell you that I’m not from this time, but instead I’m from the future, you’ll believe me without dubiety?”

Unsurprisingly, everyone went silent. Some even sent him a look as if asking him if he went out of his mind.

Minutes passed and no one still dared to open their mouths. Heaving out a breath, Kiyoomi announces, “I knew none of you would believe me so it’s best if Natsumi and I will leave.”

“Wait,” a voice stops him from leaving. Everyone, including Kiyoomi, whips their head so fast toward the source of the voice. He says even more firmly and somewhat sincerely, “I believe you, Omi-kun.”

Kiyoomi only stares at the blonde for a while before finally muttering, “Thank you.”

“Fine,” Inunaki says with a grumble. “I’m believing you, too, solely because of the reason I can’t think of an explanation of how you feel so familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.” He looks at everyone, “I’m pretty sure it’s not just me who feels like that towards him.”

The Jackals unitedly bobs their heads in agreement. Hinata speaks up, “Omi-san! If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you and Natsumi-chan?”

“Tsumi’s supposed to be turning five next month while I’m already 32,” he answers.

“So you will be having her five years from now?” questions Adriah.

Kiyoomi doesn’t agree nor deny what Adriah said. He only proceeds to run his hands through his daughter’s hair.

Bokuto raises his hand, “Hey, hey, hey! I’m curious about so many things so will you answer a few of my questions?”

“Questions about what? Your future?” Inunaki asks with raised brows.

“Inu-san, that’s a great idea, too, but I was just gonna ask Omi-kun what’s gonna happen to the first match of our upcoming season.”

The Jackals are left in their own thoughts for a moment before silently and unanimously brushing off what Bokuto just said, while Kiyoomi stands there and watches their exchange with an amused look.

He shakes his head, “As much as I’d like to tell everyone about their future, I don’t think that I should do it.”

“Something about if we know about our future, there are many things that could change, right?” Atsumu continues for him.

Kiyoomi nods, “Yeah, so it would be better if I don’t tell you anything about it at all.”

“But it’s our future anyway so shouldn’t we be the ones to decide if we want to know about it or not?” one of the first-string members presses.

Countless agreements followed including Bokuto and Hinata. Kiyoomi bites his lips, suddenly feeling like he’s backed into a corner. He meets Atsumu’s eyes, silently asking him for help, and thankfully, he understands what he’s trying to communicate.

“Guys, guys, let’s not force Omi-kun to do whatever we want him to, yeah?” He starts before gesturing at the soundlessly sleeping Natsumi carried by her father. He lowers his voice, “Besides, just take a look at Natsumi-chan. Did ya ever think about you disturbin’ her sleep while y’all screaming at her dad?”

“If we find a place where Natsumi can sleep, will Omi-kun answer our questions?” Bokuto wonders, eyes sparkling.

Atsumu just doesn’t know how his teammates’ minds work sometimes, especially Bokuto as the man is so spontaneous and unpredictable. When he’s about to protest, he feels a hand stopping him, saying, “It’s alright, but yeah, it’d be great if we could find a place for Tsumi to sleep.”

“How about the lounge room? There’s a sofa there and you could leave her there for a while,” Adriah suggests.

Hinata interjects, “But won’t Omi-san find the couch at the lounge dirty?”

Everyone switches their gaze at him. He quickly dismisses them, “It’s fine with me as long as my daughter will be comfortable.”

Kiyoomi shifts Natsumi on his hold a little, his arm already starting to feel a bit numb with how long he’s been carrying her. Atsumu notices it, so he doesn’t hesitate to offer help, reaching his arms out, “If it’s good with you, I’ll carry her to the lounge.”

Before Kiyoomi could even answer, someone taps on Atsumu’s shoulder then call, “Miya-san.”

Both of them shift their attention at the voice, immediately recognizing her as the Black Jackals’ receptionist, Himari. Kiyoomi gestures towards her, “Just go, I can still handle her. It seems to be important.”

“Are you sure?” Atsumu tries to ascertain. When he receives a firm nod from the other, he finally gives up and jogs in her direction.

When Atsumu is done talking with Himari (his twin brother will apparently drop by at noon to use him as a guinea pig for his new onigiri recipes), he doesn’t go back with the others and try to bug Kiyoomi about what his future could be but makes his way to the lounge room.

He finds Natsumi sleeping soundly on the couch, her head dangling on the corner of the furniture. Atsumu rushes towards her and takes off his jacket, folding it into a makeshift pillow before fixing her position and laying her head down on it. When he hears her sigh, Atsumu smiles at the sight before sitting on the chair opposite the couch.

Atsumu looks up when he sees the sliding door open, Inunaki silently strides inside, hands hiding in his pocket. He takes a seat on the remaining unoccupied chair, all while eyeing the setter with a weird knowing look in his eyes.

Inunaki crosses his legs before stating, “What’s up with you back then?”

They both go quiet for who knows how many minutes. Inunaki kept on sending him an expectant look as if he’s trying to get some huge secret out of him. Atsumu, on the other hand, only tilts his head to the side then asks, “What exactly do ya mean, Wan-san?”

He’s more than sure that right now, Inunaki is giving him an ‘are-you-serious’ look, but that doesn’t clear anything for Atsumu. When the blonde didn’t say anything after a minute of stillness, Inunaki groans, “Earlier! When the future Sakusa arrived and claimed his daughter! You went eerily quiet the whole time we were interrogating him. What was up with that?”

Atsumu chuckles, “Wan-san, you’re reading too much in between the lines here. My silence doesn’t mean anything other than what it is. Besides, shouldn’t ya be glad because for once, I shut my mouth up as you’ve always wanted me to do?”

“You know that I’m only joking whenever I tell you that,” Inunaki huffs. “And stop trying to hide whatever you’re feeling. It isn’t only me who noticed it but the others did, too, including Bokuto  _ and  _ Shouyou.”

Turning his eyes away to avoid meeting Inunaki’s own pair, Atsumu’s eyes land on the little girl peacefully dozing on the couch. Observing her face, the setter can’t help but notice that she’s literally like the girl version of Kiyoomi, but with softer and more delicate features. This fact is squeezing his heart so bad, he won’t even be surprised if it will burst.

“You’re jealous, aren’t you,” says Inunaki seemingly out of the blue, startling the fake blonde and his thoughts. He feels like the elder’s eyes are piercing right through his soul, reading every emotion he’s feeling at this moment.

He continues, “You’re not jealous of Sakusa nor the kid, but of something— no, some _ one _ else.”

Atsumu can’t do anything but divert his gaze down on the floor, his teeth biting his lower lip. Inunaki carries on with his observations, “The only reason I could think of why you’re feeling like that is because you have feel—”

“Please don’t say it aloud,” begs the setter, his voice quiet.

“Why not?” Inunaki questions, eyes squinting at him. When Atsumu doesn’t respond, Inunaki proceeds, “You still haven’t accepted that you have feelings—and not just  _ any _ feelings—but romantic feelings for one of your wing spikers?”

The blonde visibly winces, making Inunaki feel bad for him. He heaves out a breath, “Atsumu, can you be completely honest with me?”

“I’ll try,” Atsumu says, licking his lips.

“Okay, fine,” Inunaki relents. “How long have you been in love with him?”

“Since we were in our third year just before I received the recruitment letter from MSBY.”

Memories suddenly run back to Atsumu, remembering their third year of high school. After facing each other on Interhigh, Itachiyama and Inarizaki developed a relationship blurring between rivalry, competition, and friendship.

Before they officially became third-year students, Inarizaki went up to Tokyo and had a training camp with other powerhouse schools from Tokyo, led by Itachiyama. It was two weeks that Atsumu would never forget, as it was those days that got him to know Kiyoomi more, not enough for them to be best friends but more than enough for the setter to fall in love with Japan’s now best high school ace.

Inunaki sits there in awe, trying to process what Atsumu just said. He deduces, “So you’ve been in love with him for like more or less five years and haven’t done anything to confess?”

“I was about to, okay?” Atsumu runs his hands through his hair, exasperated. “And then today just  _ had to _ happen so now I don’t want to do it.”

“What?” asks Inunaki, sounding incredulous. “Are you serious right now, Atsumu?”

“Why won’t I be, Wan-san?” Atsumu fires back with a groan. “‘Samu, Rintarou, Kita-san, and Aran-kun barely managed to convince me to do this and now knowing that I would probably have my heart broken in the near future, I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Inunaki purses his lips for a few seconds before looking pointedly at Atsumu then plainly states, “I didn’t know you’re  _ this  _ oblivious  _ and  _ stupid.”

“W-What?!” Atsumu splutters. He moans, “Wan-san, I’m broken-hearted right now! Can’t ya say something that would comfort me?”

“Not when you’re being blind with your feelings, no,” Inunaki says, rolling his eyes. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be attentive to Sakusa’s moves since you have feelings for him?”

“What do ya take me for? A stalker?” Atsumu grumbles.

Inunaki just glares at him, causing the blonde to shudder in fear. Their libero might be smaller than him, but he can be seriously scary if he wanted to.

“You didn’t really notice?” Inunaki interrogates, voice a little bit more serious than earlier. Atsumu just shakes his head, earning a grunt from the libero. “Fine, if you weren’t really aware, I’m gonna list down the weird things that transpired while we were at the gym.

“First, Natsumi called you ‘Papa’ and she felt safe with you. When we started talking to her, she looked like she was about to cry and only actually started crying when Oliver-san tried to pet her on the head. Second, when she saw Sakusa, she didn’t call him ‘Papa’ but rather another term for what you call your father, ‘Daddy’. Do you know what that means, Atsumu?”

Cocking his head to the side, Atsumu replies, “She has two dads?”

Inunaki claps then snaps his fingers, acting as a conspiracy theorist, “Exactly! I wouldn’t think that way if only she referred to Sakusa as ‘Papa’ but she didn’t so that only meant she has  _ two _ dads.”

“So what does this supposed to mean, Wan-san? Are you saying this because you want to rub in my face that I could have a chance with Omi-kun but in the end, he didn’t really fall in love with me?” Atsumu asks, genuinely confused.

Covering his face with his hands, Atsumu sees Inunaki breathing in and out. The older throws an irritated look his way. “You’re so oblivious it physically pains me, but I don’t like seeing my friends sad and wallowing by themselves with pity so you better be thankful that I’m walking with you through this step by step.”

The setter only smiles at the libero before proceeding, “Third, you remember how Himari-san called for you earlier, right?” Atsumu nods. “So you definitely saw how Sakusa also turned to her?”

Atsumu chuckles, “Wan-san, I think I already know where you’re goin’ with this, but I don’t think it means anything other than what it is. I don’t think that we should read between the lines.”

“Yeah, that may be true,” Inunaki unexpectedly agrees with him. “But if you have to consider the first two points that I told you, it might mean more.”

“You don’t know that,” Atsumu protests.

“You don’t know it either,” Inunaki retaliates. “I don’t get you, do you know that? Instead of trying to take a risk with all of the things we’ve been deducing, the less you want to confess.”

A bitter laugh escapes the blonde’s lips, “That’s the point, Wan-san. I don’t want to take a risk when it’s not just my friendship with him that’s in jeopardy, but possibly the entire team’s dynamics, too.”

“But you aren’t afraid to take risks in volleyball,” Inunaki points out.

“It’s different. Volleyball and my life are two different things,” argues Atsumu.

“But didn’t you say that volleyball is your life?”

The question makes Atsumu pause. He swallows the lump forming in his throat as he weakly reasons out, “I’m talking about my love life, Wan-san.”

“Really?” the libero asks. “I clearly remember you saying just last week that cheesy but true quote when we were at the izakaya. What was it again? Something along the lines of ‘everything on the court is love’? You really ripped off that ice skating anime, huh?”

“But it’s true though.”

“Yeah, it’s true, alright, but you need to do this, Atsumu,” Inunaki says, voice almost pleading. “I’m not giving you advice for any hidden agenda nor me being a senior to you or anything of the sort. But rather, take this advice from me as your friend who is concerned about you and only wants what’s best for you.”

When Atsumu didn’t respond, Inunaki continues, “Besides, I  _ know _ that  _ you _ know more than anyone here about being unable to do anything with your regrets.”

Atsumu instantly knew what the older was saying. Let’s just say that it had something to do with the first year of his high school life and someone who he used to think was unreachable but became even more so when that person was chosen as their volleyball captain while he was a second year.

Still, this doesn’t make anything easier. He might know that regret well, but it’s not that easy to gain enough courage either.

Atsumu sighs, tired and has had enough of this conversation already, “Wan-san, I know that you mean well, but can you  _ please _ let this discussion go?”

Eyes pleading, Inunaki exhales, then simply yet sincerely says, “Atsumu, I’m sorry.”

He shoots him a barely-there smile, “It’s fine, Wan-san. At least this conversation made me realize that I can finally stop antagonizing the other Inarizaki alumnus when I wanted to talk to someone about my feelings for him.”

Inunaki chuckles, “It looks like I put myself into a terrible position for being too nosy, huh?”

They both laugh again when the door suddenly opens, revealing Kiyoomi who just keeps staring at Atsumu.

Cocking an eyebrow, he tilts his head, questioning why is the wing spiker looking at him like that. Before Atsumu can even ask his questions out loud, Bokuto, Hinata, Adriah, and Barnes’ heads pop up behind him.

Hinata speaks up, “Wan-san, Captain is looking for you.”

“Really?” Inunaki asks. The other four (minus Kiyoomi) shoot him a look and something immediately dawn on him. He nonchalantly says, “Oh, yeah, it’s probably about our new floor defense, so I need to get going.”

Inunaki pats Atsumu’s shoulder and squeezes it before jogging towards the others. When it was just him, Kiyoomi, and Natsumi left in the room, a quite uncomfortable silence envelops them.

“Atsumu.”

Kiyoomi calls, eyes glassy. On the other hand, the setter is startled because  _ what the fuck, Omi-kun never referred to me using my given name because it’s always either Miya or when the other doesn’t even refer to him with any of my names, but settles for a simple ‘you (omae)’ instead.  _

Striding towards the blonde, Kiyoomi takes a seat at Inunaki’s previous place. He says, “I heard.”

Atsumu doesn’t react positively or negatively. He just stays still before questioning, “How much did you hear?”

“Everything.”

A shaky breath escapes the blonde’s lips, eyes downcast, “H-How…?”

“Coach Foster and Meian-san suddenly arrived so the others didn’t really get to question me about their future. The other four whom you saw with me explained the situation to Meian-san and just dismissed us and before I opened the door, I heard Wan-san ask you a question.”

Atsumu continues looking down on his hands, fingers fiddling with each other. His thoughts suddenly race, trying to guess what Kiyoomi must be thinking right now and what he’s supposed to do about it. But the next thing he knew, a pair of calloused hands wrapped around his own, startling the setter. His breath hitches as soon as his eyes register Kiyoomi’s figure in front of him, looking at him with worried eyes.

“Hey, ‘Tsumu, it’s fine. Don’t think too much about anything. Whatever you’re thinking, just forget about it, okay?” soothes Kiyoomi, his voice quiet and delicate while the wing spiker’s fingers draw invisible circles on the setter’s hands.

“I’m being rejected right now. How am I supposed to simply forget about this?”

“‘Tsumu, please. Just trust me. Everything will be alright, yeah?” Kiyoomi pleads.

Droplets of tears suddenly land on Kiyoomi’s hand. He looks up at Atsumu’s face and sees the silent tears falling down the blonde’s face. Something inside the raven-haired man’s chest cracks and he couldn’t do anything but to pull him into a hug.

“Fuck,” mutters Kiyoomi under his breath. “Just why am I so weak when it comes to you?”

He pulls away from the hug then his hands gently hold Atsumu’s chin to lift his head up. Kiyoomi frowns, “‘Tsumu, look at me.”

Hesitance was clear on the other’s face, but he still managed to look Kiyoomi in the eyes. Smiling a little, Kiyoomi caresses his cheek, wiping the tear streaks away, “I should have known that no matter what timeline we’re in, I could never stand seeing you hurting.”

Atsumu only continues to stare at Kiyoomi’s face, opting not to say anything. The older continues, “Since everything has probably changed already when Tsumi and I arrived in this timeline, I might as well just tell you the truth. I’m gonna start by introducing myself to you.”

“W-What?”

“People from my timeline publicly know me as Sakusa Kiyoomi, but ever since we got married seven years ago, I’ve been secretly going by the name Miya Kiyoomi.”

“Stop joking with me,” Atsumu demands. “You’re actually joking with me, right?”

“No, I’m not, ‘Tsumu,” Kiyoomi denies softly. “Why would I even joke about something like this?”

Atsumu shrugs, “I don’t know, but what I know is Omi-kun would never fall in love with me.”

“But weren’t you planning to confess your feelings to him? That must mean that you were thinking that you have a chance, even if it’s the slightest.” The setter falls silent. Kiyoomi proceeds, “Wan-san also pointed out my actions earlier to you. Shouldn’t that be enough to serve as proof?”

“What about Natsumi? She looks a lot like you, Omi-kun,” Atsumu points out. He adds, “I mean, I don’t care if you had a child before me but I… I just want to know.”

“That’s because Tsumi is our child,” Kiyoomi explains briefly. “She isn’t our only child either. She has a twin sister and her name is Fuyumi.”

“How?”

“They’re both surrogacy babies. Long story short, my cousin who looks a lot like me overheard us talking about wanting to have children so she volunteered as a donor. Since she’s my cousin, it’s obvious that I’m not going to be the sperm donor so that responsibility fell on you.”

“Really?” Atsumu presses.

Kiyoomi nods with a small smile, his thumb continuously caressing the blonde’s cheek. He stares at Atsumu’s face, doubts still lingering on the latter’s expression.

Sighing, Kiyoomi asks, “What do I need to do in order for you to believe what I’m telling you?”

The two fell silent, not knowing what to do. Kiyoomi’s face suddenly lights up, eyes glinting mischievously.

Tilting up Atsumu’s face, the wing spiker scoots closer to the setter. Their faces are only a few inches away from each other’s that Kiyoomi can feel the younger shaking.

He chuckles, “I hope that my younger self will forgive me for stealing what was supposed to be his.”

“What are you talk—”

Before Atsumu can even finish what he’s going to ask, a pair of chapped yet soft lips planted against his made him forget about it. Atsumu doesn’t know why but he finds himself melting under the kiss, especially after Kiyoomi’s hands slid down from his neck to his hips.

The blonde softly responds back to Kiyoomi’s kiss before he suddenly feels the older licking his lips. Just as he is about to grant him entrance, they both hear a sleepy voice calling, “Daddy? Papa?”

Both of them quickly untangle themselves from each other, Kiyoomi rushing towards his daughter’s side. He pats her head as he gently asks, “Tsumi, did you sleep well?”

Natsumi nods, eyes still half-closed, “Daddy, where’s Papa?”

Kiyoomi turns to Atsumu, sending him a look. Startled, Atsumu hesitantly approaches the two of them. He clears his throat before saying, “Y-Yes, Tsumi. Did you n-need something?”

She sleepily grins at him, “Papa, can you carry me?”

“Okay,” Atsumu agrees, immediately scooping up Natsumi from the couch. The little girl sighs in satisfaction as she buries her head on Atsumu’s neck before falling back to sleep.

Atsumu can’t help but ask a question, “Does she always act like this?”

Kiyoomi smiles, “Not really. She only does it whenever we have to leave her and Yumi with ‘Samu and Rintarou. I guess that was her way of saying that she missed us since she isn’t really vocal about what she feels, unlike Yumi.”

“W-Was I a good dad to the both of them?”

“You are the best dad to Tsumi and Yumi, and the best husband to me. The three of us love you so much more than you could ever know, ‘Tsumu.” Kiyoomi drops a kiss on the top of his head before he leans his own forehead against Atsumu. “Don’t think about whether you deserve the life you have in the future because you do, okay? Our lives won’t be the same without you.”

“We love you, baby.  _ I  _ love you so much,” whispers Kiyoomi before pecking Atsumu on the lips.

He lets their lips linger, his eyes momentarily closing. The blonde feels his arms go lighter and when he opens his eyes, Kiyoomi and Natsumi are nowhere to be found.

.・✫・゜・。.

When Atsumu asked around the other Jackals about what just happened the following day, all of them looked at him like he had gone crazy. It frustrated the setter so much, but he realized that no one but him remembered what transpired. It should be noted that Inunaki recalled talking to the blonde about his feelings for Kiyoomi, which only frustrated him even more.

It also didn’t help that Kiyoomi didn’t show up at the team practice for three days, and when Atsumu asked Meian and Coach Foster about it, they only told him that the raven asked for a short break and will be back after this week. Atsumu can’t do anything but wait for Kiyoomi’s return because he has so many questions that he badly needed to be answered.

So when Monday came, Atsumu made sure to wake up early to catch Kiyoomi alone in the locker room. It looked like the universe was on his side as when he arrived at the Jackals’ locker room, he spotted the wing spiker already finishing up changing his outfit to training clothes.

“Omi-kun!” Atsumu calls. He hastily adds, “We need to talk.”

Kiyoomi only stares at him for a moment, the look in his eyes different from what he usually had whenever he looks at the setter. He says, “Let’s talk later after training.”

Atsumu is silent for a second before nodding and proceeding to change his clothes. After that, he and Kiyoomi warmed up and did drills together until the others arrived.

Training with the other Jackals was uneventful apart from the fact that Atsumu got roped in (again) to Bokuto and Hinata’s shenanigans.

It wasn’t until five o’clock in the afternoon that their training ended and they were finally free with their time. Atsumu wordlessly follows Kiyoomi to the locker room, not missing the teasing look Inunaki sent him and the questioning look Hinata and Bokuto gave him.

When they finished everything that they needed to do in the locker room, Atsumu trailed after Kiyoomi to his car. It wasn’t long until they arrived at Kiyoomi’s apartment, just a five-minute drive from the Jackals’ gym.

When Atsumu entered his companion’s apartment, he didn’t need to be instructed on what he was supposed to do. He placed his shoes on the small compartment meant for visitors to leave their shoes then proceeded to the living room and take a seat. The blonde drops his bag on the floor before making himself comfortable on the couch.

Kiyoomi isn’t anywhere to be found but that’s understandable. The wing spiker never liked talking without changing out of his clothes that he wore when he was outside while he was at his safe place. Atsumu knew this because of the fact that this wasn’t the first time he and Kiyoomi hung out without the others. In fact, they actually do this at least once a week. Now that Atsumu is thinking about it, he can’t help but to realize that it’s a surprise he managed not to slip up and talk about his feelings for the spiker.

While Atsumu is lost in his thoughts, Kiyoomi comes out of his bedroom in a pair of white shirt and grey sweatpants. He heads toward the setter and takes the opposite seat from him, his back leaning back on the couch. He speaks up first, “Which one of us goes first?”

“I want to ask you something,” Atsumu starts. “What happened to you before you went on a break?”

Kiyoomi doesn’t say anything for a moment, “As you probably guessed, I went to the future and exchanged life for a few hours with the future me.”

Atsumu opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to come up with something to say, but he can’t think of anything. He just stays silent and lets Kiyoomi continue.

Kiyoomi sighs, “I won’t elaborate what happened to me and I also won’t ask you what happened between you, the future me, and Natsumi, but being sent to the future did me a favor.”

The blonde’s breath hitches, quietly anticipating what he was going to say. Kiyoomi buries his head into his own hands, “I had a talk with the future you—or rather, the alternate universe future you, according to himself—and he helped me sort my feelings out all while attending to Fuyumi’s needs as our daughter prepares herself to go to kindergarten.”

Something inside Atsumu flutters when the words ‘our daughter’ leave Kiyoomi’s lips. He unknowingly smiles at that, causing the wing spiker to blush.

“A-Anyway,” Kiyoomi uncharacteristically stutters out. “Everything that was so confusing became clear to me. And the future you drilled into my head that I shouldn’t try to hide and run away from what I really feel because apparently, both of us are  _ a bit  _ emotionally constipated and a bit prideful so we have to reach out to each other for our relationship to work. That’s also the reason why I had to have time for myself even just for three days while also trying to gather courage because if I didn’t, I would have probably run away just like what  _ you _ said.”

Heaving out a deep breath, Kiyoomi finally looks at Atsumu in the eyes for the first time that night, the wing spiker’s own pair shaking a little as he asks, “So, ‘Tsumu, are you willing to go out on a date with me?”

If it was anyone else who asked Atsumu that question, he would have probably folded his body into two while cackling so loud without a care in the world. But since it’s Kiyoomi, he finds it endearing and very him—very  _ them _ .

With a shit-eating grin, Atsumu responds, “Yeah, why not?”

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn’t entirely sure about the title (and a lot of things about this fic, actually) so I might change that :)
> 
> don’t forget to give kudos and leave comments! I suck at replying to comments because I typically don’t know what to say apart from expressing my gratitude, but I appreciate them so much and I love reading them 🤍
> 
> hmu on [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/selenophim) ♡


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